


Patefactio

by KatieTaylor



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode: s04e05 Travelers, Episode: s05e04 The End, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-25 15:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3815335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieTaylor/pseuds/KatieTaylor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An explanation for the ring?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Patefactio

**Author's Note:**

> (Original header and end notes. It's interesting to see how I've progressed since I started writing fan fic back in the 90s. All I've done to these pieces is fix typos and formatting.)
> 
> DATE WRITTEN: 12 June 1998  
> DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Anywhere, just tell me!  
> SPOILER WARNING: The End, Travellers (?)  
> RATING: PG  
> CONTENT WARNING: MSR  
> SUMMARY: An explanation for the ring?
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Fox & Samantha Mulder, Dana Scully, Diana Fowley, and Phoebe Greene all belong to Chris Carter, 1013, and FOX. I don't own them, nor will I ever.

"We knew there were going to be risks going to the Attorney General," Scully said into Mulder's phone. "Yes, sir. I understand. Yes, I'm-I'm here with him, now. I'll communicate that to him. Is there anything else? Any other news? Right. Well, I'll be here if you need to reach me." Scully hung up the phone and looked down at Mulder sleeping on the couch. Or so she thought.

"Any news on Diana?" She sighed, curious that he didn't seem to be overly concerned about her.

"They have her on maximum pressers but she's barely maintaining her pressure." Mulder let the subject drop.

"What did Skinner have to say?" She didn't want this to be happening again, but it was.

"There are talks going on right now about reassignment." 

As he finally opened his eyes and looked at her; she saw fear momentarily flash across his features. "For who?"

"Both of us. These talks included instructions from the Justice Department to close down the X-Files." His paranoid mind was fired up now.

"This was all strategized - every move. I just couldn't see it. It was all a plan."

"Mulder, whatever you may believe, this time they may have won."

Scully fought with herself for a few moments before speaking again, by which time Mulder was sitting up and watching her.

"Mulder, I have something to ask you. I don't know if now is the right time or not, but if I wait, I don't know if I'll ever ask." 

"What is it, Scully?" It had been a tough day, to say the least. The answer to all their questions had slipped through their fingers. On top of that, things had been tense since Diana's appearance. He prepared himself for the worst-although he wasn't sure how anything could be worse than the bureau splitting the two of them up again. It was probably for the best, but that didn't mean he had to like it. It wasn't the best thing for him-it was the worst possible thing he could think of happening to him, but for Scully it would be good, even if she couldn't see that. She was still well liked. After she left the X-Files, she would be back on the fast track to bureau success. Like he had once been.

"How close, exactly, were you and Diana?" That was one question Mulder hadn't been expecting.

"What do you know?"

"Frohike said she was your 'chickadee' when you came across the X-Files."

Mulder laughed. "You asked the gunmen?"

Scully nodded. "They were . . . hesitant to answer me."

Mulder was silent for a moment, thinking about how to answer her. He had known for a long time-even before Diana had come back into his life-that one day he'd have to tell Scully. He figured the best place to start was the beginning.

"When Phoebe and I first started seeing each other, I didn't really know her. I was a bit of a loner, and American, and she took a liking to me. She was tall and leggy and smart, and I was flattered that a woman like that would be interested in me. We were together for such a long time, or what I considered to be a long time back then, and she'd spun me so far into her web. I thought we were going to be together forever. Then she dumped me. I still don't even really know why. She probably just got bored with me." Mulder got up and moved to the closet, where he started rummaging through boxes. Scully was about to ask what Phoebe had to do with Diana when he continued, carrying a small box with him as he resumed his place on the couch.

"After that, I told myself that maybe it would be better to actually know someone before getting involved with them." He smiled a little at his own foolishness. "When I finished at the Academy, I met Diana. We worked together quite often although we weren't partners. We eventually became very good friends. Before that point in my life, I had never been that close to anyone. We were best friends, and we started to confuse those feelings for something else." Mulder opened the box and pulled out a ring. Scully immediately understood its significance, and looked shocked. 

"We got married. After a while, we realized we'd made a mistake. Around that time I supposedly recovered my memories of Sam's abduction and I found the X-Files. It became my obsession, as you know. It all kind of fell apart from there. It made it hard for her to even be around me as my friend. Because, although she held many of the same beliefs I did, she couldn't handle the way I let it control my life. She was offered the job in Europe. It was a good excuse to get away. But she didn't really need one. I understood." Mulder stopped for a moment, took a deep breath before finishing.

"After that, I told myself I'd never again date my best friend." While he had been talking, Scully had moved to the couch, and they sat close, facing each other.

Although he had told himself all those years ago that he would never get involved with his best friend, he had found himself wanting to break that rule. A lot. And he had never felt about anyone the way he felt about Scully. With Diana, he had never disguised his feelings behind jokes laced with sexual innuendo, hoping she'd pick up on them. Diana had never been able to render him speechless just by speaking his name or accidentally brushing up against him.

But did Scully feel the same way?

They were so close now, practically breathing the same air.

"Dana, I-" He was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES: Patefactio is Latin for 'I make open'. (The closet thing we could find to Revelations, which is what I wanted to call it.) Thanks as always to Chris Holzman!
> 
> Thanks to my editors: Regina Harter; Jeannine Happ; Serena; and Suzita


End file.
